In its
revival season, the former cult hit was able to take a more focused look at its
protagonist. As an aging actress, she's perceived in an
unflattering light and dismissed by the men around her. She's desperate for
relevance in a world that rejects her for not being young and hot.

Credit Kudrow: Her depiction of Cherish is honest and clear-cut, so much so that the audience
endures the character's numerous ups and downs. It's breathtaking to watch. In
exploring how Hollywood treats aging actresses, Kudrow deserves this year's
outstanding lead actress in a comedy Emmy award.

The Comeback originally premiered in 2005 but was
short-lived, airing just one season about the trials and tribulations of Valerie.
The show was cancelled due to poor ratings, but gained a cult following thanks
to reruns and DVD release. The show returned for a short (eight episodes) yet well-received follow-up season at the end of last year.

Cherish has
been busy since we last saw her, but nothing's really changed. She had a minor
stint as a Real Housewife — a franchise arguably influenced by
The Comeback's first-season exploration
of reality television. She even starred in an "indie horror movie."
Thankfully, Valerie remained awkward and endearing. This season not only lived
up to the great expectations of both fans and critics, but also managed to
exceed them by exploring another side of Valerie Cherish.

Season two
featured a grating yet ultimately gratifying narrative for Valerie, who
struggles with the dramatic role of Mallory Church in a new HBO series called Seeing Red. The show-within-a-show
featuresa sadistic version of the actress, created by Paulie G, the man she worked with on the first season's
show-within-a-show, Room and Bored.
Initially, she fumbles and finds it difficult to let her guard down. The season
studies Valerie, an actress stuck in the blueprint of a '90s sitcom trying to
adapt to the dramatic format, as she's pushed to her breaking point.

It's trying
work. She has to act beside naked women, do green-screen work and is even put
in the trunk of a car with live snakes. It only gets worse from there: Her
marriage to husband Mark falls by the wayside, while her beloved hair-and-makeup
guru, Mickey, becomes ill. Yet Valerie is in too deep to notice what's crumbling
around her.

She's
rewarded for playing a demonic version of herself: Her performance in Seeing Red is critically acclaimed. Valerie
even wins an Emmy — but it nearly costs her everything she cherishes.

The
depiction of Valerie, by way of Mallory Church, is a strong example of how a woman in
Hollywood is seen by the men around her. Mallory is shrill,
threatening and painted as the villain. In Valerie's own unraveling, Kudrow
plays the character with such precision that she transcends satire and becomes
human, flawed and affecting. She's put through the wringer in trying to remain
significant, and, in turn, forgets about those around her.

Nominated
for playing Cherish during the show's initial run and winning two Emmys during
her time on Friends, Kudrow is not
unrewarded. Yet it is in her return as Valerie that she is more deserving than
ever. Her performance is so memorable because her character is so unique. Her
portrayal of an actress trying to stay relevant while losing her personal identity is something few of her peers would veer into. By doing so, she gave
a performance that is unparalleled.

For Kudrow, Cherish supersedes any other character in her repertoire. This
year's Emmy rightfully belongs to her.

The Comeback is nominated for one Emmy award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for Lisa Kudrow. It is available for streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now.